suomi 100
making an escape room in finland
I was tasked with leading a project to celebrate 100 years of Finnish Independence and attract students to Kalajoen lukio (a high school in northern Finland).
History feels more relevant and engaging when we experience it in an interactive way. Kalajoen lukio was a school known for teaching from textbooks - it was time to change that.
How?
By designing and building a fully functioning escape room from scratch,
in a single month.
making the idea a reality
Step 1
Secure funding from the local council.
Step 2
Design the room. I decided to split it into six sections according to key parts of Finnish history: the formation of Helsinki, the right to vote, Tsar Alexander II's reign, the Finnish Civil War, the presidency of Urho Kekkonen, and joining the EU.
Step 3
Build the walls for each section.
Step 4
Craft, craft, craft.
Step 5
Advertise the room in the run-up to its launch across various social media channels.
Step 6
Open up Suomi 100 to the general public.
Step 7
Get fully booked with 70 groups and enjoy rave reviews.
Step 8
Win an award for Rieska Leader's top youth project of the year.
